SEO Is No Longer Stuck In 2015

Think SEO is cooked? Nah. It just evolved. In this short and spicy edition of Get Ramen, we break down what’s actually working in SEO in 2025: short-form content, zero-click tactics, topical authority, and sounding like a real human. Plus, tools, links, and a few shots at keyword-stuffers. If you want traffic that actually converts, start here.

Author

Lundin Matthews
April 09, 2025

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What’s Actually Working in SEO in 2025 (and Why It’s Not Dead)

✅ Short, Specific, High-Value Posts

Gone are the days of 3,000-word “ultimate guides” that say absolutely nothing. In 2025, what wins is content that solves a specific problem quickly.

Think:
“10 Newsletter Intro Lines That Boosted Our CTR”

Not:
“What is Email Marketing?”

People don’t want theory. They want templates, results, real numbers, and bite-sized wins.

This kind of content also ranks well because it gets bookmarked, linked, and re-shared in communities. Copy.ai’s blog is a perfect example. They lean hard into practical, short-form SaaS content that builds relevance over fluff.

Bonus tip: Short doesn’t mean thin. You still need to provide depth, but get to the value fast. Think: 600 words of gold > 2,500 words of cotton candy. Like a clean haircut vs. an unkept mop.

✅ Zero-Click SEO is Real (and You Should Embrace It)

Most searches today are answered before a user clicks a link.
That’s zero-click SEO. And it’s not a bug, it’s the new reality.

If you want to show up in the featured snippet (aka the top box of glory), you need to:

  • Answer the question in the first few lines

  • Use bullets or tables

  • Avoid burying the lead (no long intros or storytime)

Want to rank for “how to start a newsletter”?

Open with the steps. Then add context. Backlinko’s entire playbook is basically built around this.

TL;DR: Treat Google like a distracted boss. Give it what it wants, immediately.

✅ Topical Authority > Random Content

Google’s algorithm now favors subject matter clusters, meaning if you write 20+ interlinked posts on one niche topic, you’re more likely to rank than if you toss out random one-offs.

This is how you win long-term. Pick a content domain (like newsletter monetization or offshore hiring), and go deep, not wide.

Make Google say: “Oh, this person knows their stuff.”

Hey Foster’s blog is a solid example. Everything loops back to offshore hiring, systems, and remote team-building.

Another great model: Ahrefs blog, which stays laser-focused on SEO, with every post feeding into the others.

✅ Be Human (Seriously)

AI-generated sludge is everywhere. Google knows. Readers know. You know.

If your content reads like it was stitched together by a sleep-deprived bot in a content farm, it’s not gonna work anymore.

Use voice. Be a little weird. Tell a story. Add memes.

People don’t want to read like robots. They want content that sounds like it was written by a friend who knows their stuff. Just like this.

Still skeptical? Here’s Google’s own guidance on prioritizing “people-first content.” They’re literally begging us to stop keyword stuffing and write like humans.

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See you Friday,
Lundin
Still using keywords… but like a human

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